Leading scientists have urged the world’s leading bodies to take urgent and unprecedented action against global warming to slash risks of high rising sea levels, extreme heat and poverty.

A report released by Landmark has highlighted that there are only 12 years left to keep global warming temperatures below 1.5C. A rise as small as a half a degree will considerably change the climate of the planet and expose a large percentage of the world’s population to extreme weather conditions.

The report says that at this current pace, the world could surpass the 1.5C goal set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement as early as 2030. 2052 being the latest.

In Paris, there were two goals set out for the participating nations to achieve: keep the global temperature rise this century below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5C. Currently, the world has already warmed 1C since pre-industrial times.

October’s Storm Leslie swept aside tens of buildings and homes in central & northern Portugal – leaving 27 people injured. Hurricane Michael claimed 18 lives in Virginia, United States, and these occurrences are an indication of the types of weather conditions that could become regular if action is not taken.

Co-chair of the IPCC’s Working Group, Debra Roberts, labelled the reports as “the largest clarion bell from the science community.

It’s a line in the sand and what it says to our species is that this is the moment and we must act now,’ she told The Guardian.

To reach the goal set, the report suggests that the world needs “rapid and far-reaching” changes in how energy is generated, consumed and distributed in cities and transport systems.

Using efficient and modern energy methods – and switching away from the traditional use of coal, oil and gas – will help the climate temperature stay under the 1.5C and could mean that 420 million people are less commonly exposed to extreme weather.